Background
During the regular season, the Red Sox posted a 95–65 record and won the AL East division title, while the A's went 98–64 to win the AL West.
The Red Sox came up with experienced players as Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk and Dwight Evans, and two sensational rookies—Fred Lynn and Jim Rice. Lynn took most of the headlines by playing a flawless center field, hitting .331 with 21 home runs and 105 RBIs, and becoming the first major league player to win the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. Rice, although suffering a broken wrist in late September, finished with a .309 average, 22 homers and 102 RBIs.
Meanwhile, the A's seemed ripe to be overthrown without Catfish Hunter in the starting rotation and with generally lackluster offensive support during the regular season. To supplement the familiar faces of Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris and Gene Tenace on the roster, Oakland included Claudell Washington, who blossomed into a dangerous hitter, and Billy Williams, who came over from the National League.
Read more about this topic: 1975 American League Championship Series
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